Ruth Anne Benziger's Blog, page 3

Kidney Stent Removed

Hi, everyone.

It has sure been a long week. If you didn’t read my post last week, I had a kidney stone last weekend. I awoke at 4 am on Friday morning with the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt. I tried to stretch and move around to see if I could get the pain to shift or go away. Unfortunately, the pain only increased and I became nauseous and wretched quite a bit.

After a half-hour or so, I finally called my mom to get her advice. I told her something was surely wrong and I needed to go into the hospital. A few years ago, I had the flu and got so sick that by the time I went to the hospital, my kidneys were shutting down. I was in the hospital for a week recovering from severe dehydration. So, when this happened and I knew something was wrong with my kidney, I didn’t hesitate to go in.

I spent a day at Mountain View Regional Center where they did a CT scan and the habitual blood and urine tests. They diagnosed me with a kidney stone, provided fluids, and even gave me Flomax and other medications to try and pass it. However, despite their best efforts, the stone was stuck and obstructing the urine, so I had to be transferred to another hospital where I would see a urologist.

The next day, I did move and because of scheduling and staffing, I had to spend one more night in the hospital on pain meds and Flomax. On Sunday afternoon, I was taken into surgery and had the stone removed and they placed a stent in my urethra and kidney. It has been there all week long.

The symptoms of having a stent in can vary. For me, I had to urinate often and there was some cramping and mild pain in the kidney. Today, after waiting over an hour for my appointment, I finally had that stent removed. I was hoping to find the results of the stone, but they were not back from the lab. It was a calcium-based stone with oxalates.

I was advised to avoid salt and oxalate-filled foods and of course, to drink more water. I do drink tons but she is thinking because I don’t have a colon and because my body absorbs things differently with an ileostomy, my body might not be taking the water I’m drinking in enough. So, I’m going to keep drinking water and continue to follow my bariatric diet.

Dr. Bendana said that the more weight I lose, the easier it will be as well. Higher weights can be harder for passing them. Unfortunately, given that I have unique medical circumstances and will be on a high protein diet the rest of my life, I’ll have to continue seeing a urologist in the future. I will go back in April to get an ultrasound of my kidney. I had some swelling and she wants to ensure the swelling goes away.

I will see her after the ultrasound to check in on my kidney and the stone. If I have issues in the future, I may require medication to help. She is hopeful my diet and water intake will solve the problem and I won’t have further issues, but we shall see what happens.

I’ll update you in April when I meet with her again. I will also let you know if anything happens in the meantime. For now, I feel much better now that my stent is out. I can finally focus on my diet and health and hope that I won’t have a repeat in the future.

Until next time,

Ruth

Book Review: Born in Shame by Nora Roberts

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes the final novel in the Irish Born Trilogy—following Born in Fire and Born in Ice.

Shannon Bodine’s life revolves around her job as a graphic artist at a New York ad agency. But her world turns upside down when she learns the identity of her real father: Thomas Concannon.

My Thoughts

Shannon Bodine’s story completes the Born In trilogy. Shannon’s mother Amanda on her death bed reveals to her the truth of her birth and her family. Amanda who had fallen in love with Tom Concannon and conceived her had held him in her heart all these years like a tight-held secret. When she’s in pain and dying, she reveals that her father was that in heart and not in blood. Shannon feels her identity has been a lie and is hurt and reeling from the truth of it all.

After coming to terms with the truth, and a little help from a letter from Brianna, she decides to discover just what truths her life hold. She travels to Ireland to meet her half-sisters and to learn of the man she never knew. In discovering her sisters, she finds that she is much like Maggie in temper and much like Brianna in compassion.

Murphy, who has been a favorite of mine through the trilogy, is a farmer who works the land and is a great friend and brother to the Concannon sisters. He’s struck by Shannon’s beauty and falls for her. It’s so sweet to see a man who never let himself feel for a woman fall so heavily and quickly for one.

The underlying legend of the story was a nice touch to the story. I found that dreams and legend intertwined with a whirlwind romance made for the perfect punch to the story. The relationships among the family were, as always, perfectly executed by Roberts. It’s so sad to say goodbye to these characters, but I might make a trip back in the coming years to check back in on the Concannon/Bobine family to see how they fare. You can always expect magic in the hills of Ireland.

Book Review: Born in Ice by Nora Roberts

The second novel in the Irish Born Trilogy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Born In Fire. 

Brianna Concannon is the kind of innkeeper who doesn’t mind the harsh winters of Ireland—and the empty bed-and-breakfast that comes with them. But this year, a famous American author needs a quiet place to stay while writing his next book.

A charmer whose easy smiles mask a guarded past, Grayson Thane plans to spend the cold winter alone. But his lovely landlady adds a complication he never expected. She’s exactly what he’s looking for in his heroine. And soon Grayson and Brianna will learn that sometimes fate has a plan of its own. Sometimes, fire can be born in ice…

My Thoughts

Brianna Concannon has lived in the same home all her life and now she’s turned it into an inn. Blackthorne Cottage, she called it after her dad died. With an estranged relationship with her mother, she finally makes it the inn she always dreamed of. Maggie, of course, is there with her new bundle of joy to be a support.

Mystery writer Grayson Thane books a room in the dead of winter to escape the city and isolate in solitude. Setting his new murder mystery in the hills of Ireland, he uses his environment to bring his story to life. While in the inn, he’s taking a liking to Brianna.

While their affections grow, there is more that we discover in letters in the attic. Brianna seeks support from Rogan and Maggie to find something they both feel duty-bound to connect. I for one am looking forward to hearing more about the mystery of the letters. I won’t give it away, but I find the last book in this trilogy will answer all the questions that I have. At least, I know they will.

In this story, I found myself relating to Brianna. She’s level-headed and practical and yet yearns for a family of her own. So, when Gray comes along, her heart is guarded. I can relate to being wary after being hurt. Roberts brings this story to life with her emotional journey. We see her struggle, cold as ice at times, yet the fire inside of her comes out slowly. To see her story transform her into the woman she was meant to be is nothing short of wonderful.

I feel I often get lost in the characters of Robert’s stories because she does such an amazing job with a human connection. You can’t help but get attached to them. To want the best for them and to be happy when you see them succeed. I’m onto the next and I’m looking forward to seeing the end of this family’s struggle.

Beautifully written and had me in tears at points.

Book Review: Born in Fire by Nora Roberts

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts presents the first novel in the Irish Born Trilogy—featuring three modern sisters bound by the timeless beauty of Ireland.

Margaret Mary, the eldest Concannon sister, is a glass artist with an independent streak as fierce as her volatile temper. Hand-blowing glass is a difficult and exacting art, and while she may produce the delicate and the fragile, Maggie is a strong and opinionated woman, a Clare woman, with all the turbulence of that fascinating west country.

One man, Dublin gallery owner Rogan Sweeney, has seen the soul in Maggie’s art, and vows to help her build a career. When he comes to Maggie’s studio, her heart is inflamed by their fierce attraction—and her scarred past is slowly healed by love…

My Thoughts

Maggie Concannon is a talented glass artist who seems to have caught Rogan Sweeney’s attention. She isn’t too keen on him taking an interest in her artistic talent because she doesn’t want to give up control, but it ends up being a successful and productive partnership. With some scars and bumps in her past, she’s not open to love but Rogan is the perfect person for her.

What I enjoyed most about this story is the intricate detail of the glass being blown. Roberts did an amazing job of bringing this talent to paper. The smells and feelings and colors that she describes really bring this to life for the reader. I found myself able to imagine the artwork in my head as if it were on display right in front of me.

In true romantic fashion, the characters had unique personalities, challenges, and it pulls at the heartstrings. I personally loved Maggie and her fierceness. She’s tough and she’s got a big heart. Rogan was a business-minded person who knew what he wanted and did what was necessary to get it.

Of course, I’m looking forward to reading about Brianna and her story. It’s such a pleasure when Roberts writes about siblings because it means we don’t have to say goodbye to the other characters. I know that I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next for the Concannon’s.

Kidney Stone Update

Hi, everyone.

I took time off posting on my website to recover from my kidney stone surgery. It’s been an uncomfortable and painful process. The pain in my side has subsided, thankfully. However, having a stent in is not the most fun thing to deal with.

When you have a stent in your kidney and urethra, when you have to go, you have to go. So, I feel like I’ve made way too many trips to the loo. Phew. It’s annoying.

Anyway, I go to the doctor on Monday to get the stent out.

What I’m a little upset about is that my doctor and nutritionist mentioned nothing about kidney stones being a side effect of surgery. Whether it be a high protein diet or dehydration. What was mentioned were gallstones, but not kidney stones. Last night, I spent more time than I’d like to admit researching kidney stones after bariatric surgery.

What I found is that too much animal protein, not enough calcium, and not enough hydration can all cause kidney stones. I also read that bariatric patients are at a higher risk of getting them due to these reasons. So, I’m a little annoyed that I wasn’t prepared for this. I feel like they give you classes, educational booklets, and tell you all about the risks, but they did not tell me about kidney stones. In fact, the kidney was not mentioned in any materials that I received.

So, I’m going to increase my water intake. I’m struggling to get in the water that I need to. 64oz is the recommended amount and I’m maybe getting 48-50oz. Keep in mind that I do have a 24oz mug of decaf coffee and I also have 8oz of protein shakes. So, those liquids do count in my total, however, I want to try to make the majority of my liquid water.

I’m also going to start adding lemon into my water. That seems to be a common thing that people drink to keep kidney stones down. I’m not a huge fan of lemon, but if it will prevent me from having to go through this pain and further surgery, I think I can suck up putting lemon into my water.

I’m still waiting on the results of the stone. They did send it to a lab and are going to send the results to the urologist that I’m seeing. If they don’t post the results on my medical portal, I will find out on Monday when I go get the stent removed.

The Urologist will be able to tell me what caused the stone and that will better help to figure out what I can do to avoid it. It could be hydration, uric acid, or not enough calcium. Only the results will better tell me. So, I’m being patient until then.

I’ll update you as I find out, but I’m hanging in there. Despite the discomfort, I just want to educate myself and know how to prevent this from happening again. There is so much that I don’t know about having bariatric surgery. There is so much that can happen after. So, I’m learning and going with the current.

Until next time,

Ruth

Kidney Stone. Ouch!

Friday morning at around 4am, I woke up with awful pain in my lower abdomen and back. I couldn’t get comfortable despite laying down, sitting up, moving around, stretching. Then, the nausea came and vomiting. There wasn’t anything in my stomach so it hurt and felt awful to just be vomiting liquid. After about a half hour of this or so, I finally decided that I needed to go into the ER. There was definitely something wrong.

I had to call my mom to let her know I was calling an ambulance, there was no way I could drive in this pain. She called my pastor’s wife, thank god, and she sat with the kids until my mom arrived. I’m so blessed to have had her do that for me.

I got to the hospital and did the normal triage stuff, they gave me fentanyl for the pain, but it didn’t tough it and the pain in my lower back was only getting worse. After some time, they gave me Toradol and that took it away. Phew…relief.

I can say that while they took blood, monitored my blood pressure, and did all the tests, I could not give them a urine. It hurt so bad that I couldn’t pee. When I finally did, it was so dark and it wasn’t very much.

I later found out that my urine was infected and they couldn’t just let me go home with a kidney stone to pass it. I had a CT scan performed and the stone was stuck and I wouldn’t be able to pass it on my own. Mountain View kept me comfortable while I was put on a waiting list to be transferred to Memorial.

I would have to get surgery to remove the stone and their hospital had no urologist on staff. It took quite awhile. I was transferred on Saturday at noon . I spent the night in a much more comfortable bed, was given morphine and Toradol to keep the pain at bay. I was given liquids and the whole nine yards.

On Saturday I did get to eat to eat lunch and dinner since my procedure wasn’t until Sunday. That seemed to help some. I had some low blood pressure over night due to dehydration. They sorted it out with potassium and I was right as rain.

On Sunday morning, I had to be given more morphine and Toradol because the pain was awful. The stone was preventing me form being able to urinate and the pressure was awful. Finally, they wheeled me back and did my surgery. They broke the stone into two pieces and put in a stent to keep things open because my urethrae and kidney had some swelling.

I got to go home a few hours later and I was hungry but didn’t manage to eat a ton of food. I was really tired because they kept waking me up to check my blood pressure every 2 hours. I got a little bit of food, water, and rest last night.

Today, I feel refreshed and I have an appointment with my PCP to follow-up and for other unrelated issues.

I’m feeling okay but each time I urinate, it hurts. That is normal. It will be uncomfortable for awhile and there will be some bleeding and such. All normal. I’ll be making an appointment for a week after the surgery to get the stent removed.

It was a heck of a few days, but I had family and friends praying, I prayed, and God had me in his hands. It was crazy and stressful, but I got through it and I’ll follow instructions until I can get the stent out.

I’m a little sad I can’t take a bath, but we have to follow orders and prevent infection. So, oh well. It’s just a week.

Anyway, I thought I would update you and let you know why you hadn’t seen any posts from me. It’s been crazy but it will start settling down again.

Until next time,

Ruth

Book Review: Treehouse Town (Book 2) by Jenny Phillips

Buy it here!

The Treehouse Town books take readers on an exciting adventure with Ella and Jake as they discover new friends—and new problems to be solved.

When Ella and Jake find a treehouse in the woods, it is only one of several mysteries they encounter. Who are their new neighbors? Where is the mysterious light in the woods coming from? And who built this beautiful treehouse?

Ella’s dad went up the ladder, disappearing into the leaves.

“Oh, children!” he cried. “You’ll never believe what is up here!”

My Thoughts

This part two-story was sweeter and lovelier than the first. The Tree house town use was so nice and the kids really learned some valuable lessons of how to help others in need. We really enjoyed Mr. Woods and his impact on the children’s lives. It was really sweet. I’m glad we finished this book and the kids now want to go and build their own Treehouse Town. lol. Such a nice series and the kids are looking forward to reading more in the curriculum. 

Book Review: The 19th Christmas by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

In this #1 New York Times bestseller, the Women’s Murder Club gets ready for a quiet Christmas—until a mysterious killer decides to terrorize the city. As the holidays approach, Detective Lindsay Boxer and her friends in the Women’s Murder Club have much to celebrate. Crime is down. The medical examiner’s office is quiet. Even the courts are showing some Christmas spirit. And the news cycle is so slow that journalist Cindy Thomas is on assignment to tell a story about the true meaning of the season for San Francisco. Then a fearsome criminal known only as “Loman” seizes control of the headlines. Solving crimes never happens on schedule, but as this criminal mastermind unleashes credible threats by the hour, the month of December is upended for the Women’s Murder Club. Avoiding tragedy is the only holiday miracle they seek.

My Thoughts

I picked up this book before Christmas thinking that I would like to have a mystery to read. It was that. Officer Lindsey Boxer along with her partner Conklin and Chief Jacobi are on a case. They heard a criminal named Loman is heard to have a heist planned out on Christmas day. It was fun to see how the steps fell in line, how the people worked together, and how it all panned out in the end. I really liked Boxer and her personality. I enjoyed her husband Joe too.

Along with Boxer solving this crime, a friend of hers, Cindy had a journey of her own. Cindy is a crime journalist who set out to write a good story and instead got more than she bargained for. She wrote a story that inspired when the life of a man changed based on her connections and investigation into what really happened in the past. It really was a nice way to bring the season spirit in a time when it was scarcely seen.

The epilogue has me intrigued and maybe wanting to go back to the beginning of the series to see what has happened and what will happen next. If I can find the time, I may do that. I’d be intrigued and interested because I did really enjoy this book and the characters.

Book Review: Treehouse Town (Book 1) by Jenny Phillips

Treehouse Town Boxed Set

Buy it here!

The Treehouse Town books take readers on an exciting adventure with Ella and Jake as they discover new friends—and new problems to be solved.

When Ella and Jake find a treehouse in the woods, it is only one of several mysteries they encounter. Who are their new neighbors? Where is the mysterious light in the woods coming from? And who built this beautiful treehouse?

Ella’s dad went up the ladder, disappearing into the leaves.

“Oh, children!” he cried. “You’ll never believe what is up here!”

My Thoughts

We are using the Good and the Beautiful curriculum and our read-a-loud today was the first book in the Treehouse Town box set.

The kids and I kicked off our new semester with Treehouse Town. The illustrations are gorgeous and the story was really sweet. We are moving on to book two next. My daughter, especially, loved this story and she sat with the book after and went back over all the pictures of the types of treehouses. Really cute story to start the year with.

Tuesday Weigh-in (16 Weeks Post-op VSG)

Hi guys!

This week was fun and challenging to say the least. It’s a new year and I’m still struggling not eating the sweets my kids have stashed in the kitchen. I’ve had a sweet tooth lately and I’m not exactly sure why. I refrained, mostly.

I did manage to get enough water in and my protein has been at a great level. So, all of that makes me feel fuller faster, I’m getting adequate nutrition, and I’m feeling pretty great.

My clothes are starting to feel much better because I’m losing in the belly. Finally! I feel like the belly is the last place I’m losing fat. I’m counting this as a victory because I’m so happy the jeans I’ve been wearing no longer fit. They are so baggy and falling off.

Another pair of jeans I’ve been wearing were a bit tight but I loved the way they look on me. I’m happy to say they are no longer as tight and still look good. I’m so happy! Also, I fit into an XL shirt! That was fun to wear around the house.

All my clothes have been 3x or 2x. Now, they are way too big and I have to tie them behind my back to fit or I look like I’m drowning in cloth. lol.

My high school ring is something that I’ve worn forever. I can no longer wear it because it just falls off. I believe it is a size 10. I’m sad because I loved it but I just can’t wear it and risk it falling off while I’m doing the day to day household tasks. It went into the jewelry box today, sadly. My fingers are bear.

Last week, I weighed in at 220.1.

This week, I weigh:

I’m actually really happy about this! I was having an off week and felt bloated and such. I wasn’t sure I had lost any weight. So, stepping on the scale and seeing the number made me happy.

I’ll check in again next week!